The Way We Were
by Gabbymadd22
Summary: Will and Rachel have a strained marriage. When their five year old daughter asks them how they met, join them as they take a trip down memory lane and realize how beautiful their love was, is and can be.
1. The Imperfect Family

**Hello my lovely cherubs! New story! And personally…I really like it and I hope you will too!**

42 year old Will Schuester sighed as he drove home from a long day of work. He couldn't wait to see his darling wife, Rachel and their 5 child, Anna-Mae.

As he drove, he smiled back at the 12 years he and Rachel have been together.

Rachel and Will's relationship didn't start out like a regular couple's would.

She was a 16 year old sophomore at McKinley High School and he was a 30 year old Spanish Teacher and her Glee Club director fresh out of a divorce.

Both of them had their share of great and failed relationships, and they also had their share of disagreements with each other, but eventually, they fell in love.

Two years later after graduation, Will wanted to get married right away but Rachel wanted to go to college and pursue her lifelong dream of being on Broadway. She went to NYU for 4 years while he continued teaching and directing a fresh new Glee Club. After 4 years, she came back and they rekindled their relationship, eventually having a big wedding and, a few years later, having a beautiful baby girl named Anna-Mae.

Anna-Mae had a great upbringing. She loved it when her parents sang to her before bed. She could sing pretty well, too, but was unsure of what she wanted to be when she grew up.

However…time hasn't been very kind of Will and Rachel's relationship. After Rachel got back from college and they got married, she wanted him to move to New York with her so she could be back on stage but he felt too committed to the Glee Club. When she got pregnant, her manager let her take a break until she was ready to come back, and when she did, she was supposed to make a _huge_ comeback.

She never went back, and that's when things started to strain. Suddenly, his work got busier and sometimes he came home really late. She chose to stay home and take care of Anna-Mae.

They'd also hardly talk to each other. It suddenly became a rare routine to come home, eat dinner, grade papers until late hours and go to bed.

Finally he pulled into his driveway and opened the door only to see a bundle of long hair squeal and grab hold of his legs.

"Daddy, you're home!" Anna-Mae shrieked.

He smiled and gently pried her off him. "Yup, Daddy's home. Where's your mother?"

"She's in the bedroom, I think. Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine stopped by when I got home from school!" She replied.

He nodded. "That's nice. Go tell your mother I'm home, ok?"

Anna-Mae nodded and ran to the bedroom.

A few seconds later, Rachel came in carrying Anna-Mae in her arms.

Though so many years had passed, she still looked the same.

"Hi honey, did you have a good day?"

He rubbed his face with his hands. "Stressful, as always."

She frowned and put Anna-Mae down. "Sweetheart, go and get your snack, ok?"

Anna-Mae nodded and ran to the kitchen.

"So it is gonna be another silent dinner tonight?"

He looked up at her exasperated. "Again? Rach, I'm _trying_-"

"Oh, don't start with this _trying_ crap again!" She snapped. "You can't even _try_ to be there for your daughter!"

He ran his hand through his hair. "Rachel, enough with the drama. Save it for the stage."

He took his papers out of his briefcase and shuffled them.

She sighed and walked over to him wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Honey, I'm worried about you. Ever since you've been saddled with more work, you haven't had any time for your daughter and me. You need time to relax."

He shook her off him. "As long as this job keeps bread on the table, I'll stay as busy as I need to. I have like 20 essays to grade and I have to make a set list for sectionals-"

She sighed frustrated and turned away. "You have a wife and a daughter who love you…yet you're refusing to appreciate it."

She walked away. He sighed and began grading papers.

Later on as they were getting ready for bed, Rachel was still giving him the silent treatment.

"Rach, honey, I'm sorry."

She slipped on her nightgown and sat at her vanity brushing her hair.

He still felt extremely guilty.

"Rach, I _am_ trying, you know that. I'm working to get what's best for us."

She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, I'm over it. Let's just put Anna-Mae to bed and be done with it."

He nodded and they walked over to Anna-Mae's room.

Anna-Mae was sitting in her bed reading and she smiled when they walked in.

"Hi Mommy, hi Daddy."

"Hey there, angel." Will said, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"What song do you want us to sing for you tonight, sweet cheeks?" Rachel asked.

Anna-Mae put down the book and looked at them seriously. "I don't want a song tonight. I want to hear a story."

Will shrugged. "Sure, sweetie. What kind of story?"

Anna-Mae paused before answering.

"How did you and Mommy meet?"

**Nice little start, eh? Review, por favor!**


	2. Once Upon a Time

**This chapter has been re-edited. **

Rachel and Will stared at her wide-eyed.

"Where did _that_ come from?" Rachel asked.

Anna-Mae shrugged. "I dunno…I guess I thought it would be a magical story like the ones in my books about princesses and knights."

Rachel looked at Will, who shrugged. She walked over to Anna-Mae and sat down next to her.

"Well, sweetheart, it's been many years. I'm not so sure I can remember all the details."

"You can make up the parts you can't remember!" Anna-Mae replied smiling.

Rachel smiled back and kissed her on the head. "I'll tell you the story someday, I promise. Now it's time for you to get your beauty rest."

Anna-Mae nodded and lay down against the pillows closing her eyes.

Rachel kissed her on the head and left the room. Will did the same and followed her back to the room.

"Where did _that_ come from?" Will asked closing the door.

Rachel turned to him and put her hands on her hips. "This was _all y_ou, wasn't it?"

He shook his head and stepped closer to her. "Honey, what's gotten into you? I was just as surprised as you were!"

She shook her head. "I bet you don't even _remember_ when we first met!"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not that hard. We first met when you auditioned for Glee Club."

"Singing what?" She replied narrowing her eyes.

He sighed exhaustedly. "On My Own from _Les Miserables_. Not easy to forget. Look, we both had a stressful day, so let's sleep it off."

He climbed into bed and turned away from her.

She stood there dumbstruck. Even after their marriage started falling apart, he _still_ remembered how they first met! But still, that didn't make up for pushing her and Anna-Mae away.

_I wanted to be like you  
>I wanted everything<br>So I tried to be like you  
>And I got swept away<em>

_I didn't know that it was so cold  
>And you needed someone<br>to show you the way  
>So I took your hand and we figured out<br>That when the time comes  
>I'd take you away<em>

_If you want to  
>I can save you<br>I can take you away from here  
>So lonely inside<br>So busy out there  
>And all you wanted<br>was somebody who cares_

_I'm sinking slowly  
>So hurry hold me<br>Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on  
>Please can you tell me<br>So I can finally see  
>Where you go when you're gone<em>

_If you want to  
>I can save you<br>I can take you away from here  
>So lonely inside<br>So busy out there  
>And all you wanted<br>was somebody who cares_

_All you wanted was somebody who cares  
>If you need me you know I'll be there<br>Oh, yeah_

_If you want to  
>I can save you<br>I can take you away from here  
>So lonely inside<br>So busy out there  
>And all you wanted<br>was somebody who cares_

_Please can you tell me  
>So I can finally see<br>Where you go when you're gone?_

The next morning during breakfast, both Rachel and Will sat at the table with tired eyes.

Will was the first to speak up.

"Rachel, honey, I'm _really_ sorry. I've been so busy and never took any time away to spend time with you and Anna-Mae. I promise to focus on you as well as my job."

Rachel sighed, got up from her seat and sat in his lap.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that? But I'm sorry too, for being too demanding and over-dramatic."

He kissed her cheek. "Hey, hey, I'm the one that should be apologizing. I love you so much, I always have."

She hugged him tightly. "So should we tell Anna-Mae the story?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. If you want to. I think it's a great idea."

She smiled and kissed him passionately.

Later that night, they tucked Anna-Mae into bed.

"Pumpkin, tonight we are going to tell you the story of how me and Mommy met." Will said to her.

Anna-Mae's eyes lit up and she squealed.

"Once upon a time," Rachel began. "there was a young, naive princess named Rachel Berry."

"That's you, Mommy!" Anna-Mae squealed.

Rachel smiled and continued. "She lived in the kingdom of Lima, Ohio with her two fathers."

"Why did you have two Daddies, Mommy?" Anna-Mae asked.

"Sweetie, Mommy can't tell the story if you keep interrupting her." Will said.

Rachel smiled at him. "It's ok, she can. Actually, I _did_ sort of have a mother. First it started with my father who fell in love with another man and they wanted a child, so they asked a woman named Shelby, my somewhat mother, to have me for them. I'll explain it more when you're older."

"And you said that it's ok for 2 men and 2 women to fall in love like you and Daddy did?"

She nodded. "Most definitely. So as the princess grew up, she devoted her whole life to performing, whether it was acting, singing or dancing. Eventually she made it her lifelong dream to be on Broadway in New York, on the BIG stage!"

"Did she get to make it to the big stage?" Anna-Mae asked.

"Not right away, she had to go to school first. So the princess went to McKinley High School. She wasn't very popular at first, always being teased by the cheerleaders and football players."

Anna-Mae's eyes widened. "I don't think I like those kinds of people."

Will chuckled. "It's ok, sweetie, they're not like that anymore, especially at Daddy's school."

Rachel continued. "The princess ignored all the teasing because she knew they were just jealous of her talent. Finally, she found her starting point at making it to the big stage. Daddy, who was my Spanish teacher at the time-"

Anna-Mae shot up in the bed. "Daddy was your T**EACHER**? Like Mrs. Walden and Mr. Carnes?"

Rachel and Will looked sheepishly at each other. "Yes, like the teachers at your school. So Daddy, who was my Spanish teacher, was reviving the school's Glee Club, and right away the princess knew that was where she'd get her first start."

"What it love at first sight like _Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White?_" Anna-Mae asked.

Rachel and Will both laughed. "Goodness, no. We had our share of arguments and disagreements. It was a while before we fell in love."

Anna-Mae nodded. "I like this story. So that's how you and Daddy met? What happened afterwards?"

Rachel smiled. "We'll tell you more another time. It's getting late, time for bed, angel."

Anna-Mae nodded. "Ok, thank you for the story."

"You're welcome, sweetie." Will said, turning out the light.

Back in their bedroom, Rachel was curious about something.

"Will, you didn't ring in any of your experience. How were _you_ feeling when we first met? And be honest.

**FLASHBACK**

Will had left the signup sheet up for a week and he went to go check it, excited to see who was willing to get involved. He knew Terri disapproved of him reviving the Glee club since she wasn't a big fan of show tunes, but they agreed that it would be only fair if they pursued their own interests in their own time.

He looked at the sheet and was a little disappointed to see that not many people had signed up.

_Kurt Hummel_. He's seen this kid, walking around dressing pretty snazzy. He must have a knack for performing too.

_Mercedes Jones_. She was in his class. She had a pretty drawn-out attitude and every time he looked at her, he always thought of Aretha Franklin. She must have a _fantastic_ voice for blues and soul music.

_Artie Abrams_. He also had this kid in his class, but he didn't really look the type that would sing. Artie was handicapped from the waist down, and used a wheelchair. He also had this kind of computer nerd look, but Will knew better not to judge him too quickly.

_Tina Cohen-Chang. _He'd seen this girl walking around the halls. She had a weird stutter and _always_ wore Goth clothing. This girl must have a lot of independence.

Finally he took a look at the last name on this list and his eyes widened.

_Rachel Berry_. And this wasn't just _any_ normal girl's signature. She signed her name in _huge_ cursive letters that took up the rest of the space on the list as if she had signed an autograph and even decorated her signature with gold star stickers. He didn't know what to think of this girl! Was she stuck up, did she think she was a professional? He'd have to wait and see at auditions.

The day of auditions finally arrived. The five people that signed up filed in and took a seat.

He smiled very welcome at them. Hi, I'm Mr. Schuester. I see a few familiar faces from my Spanish class. I'm so glad you chose to help revive our former victorious Glee Club and I can't wait to work with you. Now let's see what you got."

Rachel raised her hand. "Mr. Schuester, may I go first so I can show these ametures what kind of talent you are looking for?"

He looked at her. "You must be Rachel. I'm guessing you have a bit of musical experience?"

She smiled proudly. "Yes, I have been performing since I was 3 and my lifelong goal is to make it to Broadway!"

He nodded understandingly. "Well Rachel, I encourage that, but while you are in this club, you all are at the same level and are here to work together. I will hand out solos every now and then but I do not like over-achievers. As for the auditions, I'm going from top to bottom from the list if that is ok."

She looked slightly disappointed but using her amazing acting skills, she pulled herself together.

"Very well, I shall put on a mind-blowing closing act."

Kurt went first, singing _Mr. Cellophane_ from _Chicago_. His voice was perfect for musicals, but Will could definitely see that this guy was a soprano.

Mercedes went next, singing _Respect_ by of course, Aretha Franklin. Her voice was so full of soul, so he was thoroughly impressed.

Artie went next and did a small rap solo. (**Pick a song, any song)** and Will was impressed. Rapping could come in handy for some songs.

Tina, in her independent-minded glory sang _I Kissed a Girl_ by Katy Perry. Will thought that took some guts singing that song, especially if you _are_ a girl.

Finally it was Rachel's turn. She was doing a few warm up vocal exercises with the pianist who took a few minutes and finally she was ready to begin. For her audition song, she sang _On My Own_ from _Les Miserables_ and Will could **definitely** see how she ever thought she'd make it to Broadway. Her singing was **phenomenal**, and she was fantastic at portraying her character. Will could really feel her sorrow and pain that the song was about and he never thought he ever heard anything so beautiful in his life. By the time the song ended, he was on the verge of tears but composed himself.

"Great job, everyone. First rehearsal starts tomorrow after school."

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Like I'd never heard anything so beautiful in my life." Will said, holding her close.


	3. I Love You Like a Love Song

**Don't let the chapter title deceive you! Actually…ok, let it deceive you. And yes, I might add, this is the EXACT dialogue form the episode "Ballads". I had to watch the episode as I went along typing to make sure I got everything word for word.**

"Ready for the next part of the story?" Will asked Anna-Mae the next night. It was his turn to tell the story, and tonight they were going to tell about how it all started with Rachel's crush.

"Ok, for Glee Club, Daddy made the club sing lots of different types of songs. After about a horse ride and a half, he had a _full_ club. Joining the club were cheerleaders: your Auntie Quinn, Auntie Santana and Auntie Brittany. Two football players, your Uncle Puck and Uncle Finn. And Uncle Mike. One day, Daddy assigned the club to pick a partner and sing a ballad."

"What's a ballad?" Anna-Mae asked.

"Well, a ballad usually a story told in a poem, or a song, or any other form. So Daddy decided that it would be fair if partners were picked randomly out of a hat. There were an odd number of people because one of the members was absent, so Daddy put his name in the hat. Everyone picked their partners, but the princess was the only one without one-"

"Don't refer to Mommy as a princess. She's much more beautiful than any other princess." Anna-Mae interrupted.

"Mommy's even prettier than Princess Kate?" Rachel asked incredulously.

Anna-Mae nodded. "Even better than Princess Kate, but Prince William is lucky to have her. Keep going, Daddy!"

He laughed. "Ok, pumpkin. So Mommy and Daddy had no choice but to be partners. Your Uncle Artie asked me what a ballad was and Mommy offered to demonstrate, much to Daddy's dismay."

"What did you sing?" Anna-Mae asked.

Rachel's cheeks turned red. "_Endless Love_."

**FLASHBACK!**

Will couldn't believe it. First he gets partnered up with the club diva and suddenly she picks _that_ song to demonstrate?

"Um, I really don't think that's an appropriate song, Rachel."

She looked unfazed. "Why? It's a great song and a perfect ballad!"

"Yeah, I really like that song, Mr. Schue." Finn added sarcastically which made the whole club laugh.

Brad started playing and he sighed defeated.

When Rachel started singing her verse, she had this bright look in her eyes like she just witnessed a miracle…it made him a bit uncomfortable.

He began moving around the piano but she followed him until he had to pull a chair between them before she got too close.

She started getting a bit _too_ into the song and she started looking like _every_ teenage girl when they find out who they like. It made him want the song end really soon.

Finally when the song was done, everyone clapped and he nodded and said simply,

"Ok…something like that."

He went to take his seat, avoiding Rachel's gaze following him.

The next day, Rachel came to his classroom with a gift: a tie with gold stars and musical notes on it.

"Gold stars are kind of my signature thing. I figured every time you wear it, you can think of me and star you're helping me become." She said with a bright smile.

Now, if a _regular_ student gave him a _regular_ gift, he'd think it was sweet. But _this_ gift from _this_ student was kind of creepy. Sure, he dealt with another obsessive school girl crush, so he thought he'd better put a stop to it before Rachel took desperate measures like the last girl did.

After she left, he went to Emma Pillsbury, the guidance counselor for advice. Emma was a good friend and he was glad he could confide in her.

"I think that if you're feeling uncomfortable _telling_ her to back off, then maybe you should just…_sing_ it to her."

He pondered that thought and thought it was a _great_ idea.

After school when he and Rachel were supposed to have their rehearsal, he brought Emma with him and sang a mash up of "_Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl_" but she still didn't get the message.

"It means that I'm very young and it's hard for you to stand close to me." She exclaimed dreamily.

He sighed defeated.

When he got home, he couldn't wait to see his loving wife Terri after a hard day.

"Hey sweetie, I'm home!" He called out.

He started putting his things down and took a minute to notice a delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

"Hey, something smells good."

He sat down on the couch and sighed exhausted.

Suddenly a hand popped out and handed him a beer.

"Thanks." He said, taking it.

The owner of the hand spoke up…but the familiar voice made his eyes widen.

"You're welcome. Casserole's almost ready."

He turned around and his jaw dropped to see Rachel there with a smile on her face.

"Hope you like venison." She added and swiftly walked away.

He blinked, trying to convince himself that this wasn't happening. Rachel Berry was _not_ in his house cooking dinner!

Terri came out a second later and he pulled her into the kitchen.

"Why did you even let her in the house?" He demanded.

Terri shrugged nonchalantly. "Because she said she was one of your Glee kids! And it didn't take 5 minutes to realize that she was in love with you."

She paused before adding uncomfortably. "She asked if she could see your baby pictures."

"So you're making her clean our bathroom?" He asked.

Terri sighed frustrated. "I've been dealing with these school girl crushes for years, so why shouldn't I get a little something out of it?"

Rachel emerged from one of the bathrooms with rubber gloves on. "Do you have any more Ajax?"

Terri smiled sweetly. "In the linen closet, sweetie." She went back to serving the casserole.

Rachel mouthed "bye" to him and gave him a small wave and walked away.

"This is immoral, Terri!" Will said.

"No, honey, you know what's immoral?" She replied. "Is me having to deal with the fact that my husband is spending all day with young girls who are perkier and younger than I am! And I have a rash on my belly from that cocoa butter that your mother sent me! Do you have any idea how much it burns when I sweat? I can't…scrub the floors as hard as she can!"

His worry instincts kicked in. "Baby, if it's that bad, you have to let me see it! It might be infected!" He said, moving toward her.

Terri moved away. "What, so now I'm gonna show you the bleeding pustials on my skin? Wow, yeah _that's_ not gonna send you into the loving arms of some teenage slut!"

"For the last time, I am _not_ having an affair with any of my students!" He snapped. "And you are _not_ allowed to turn one of them into your slaves because you have this _irrational_ fear of me leaving you!"

"Why not, huh? It's a win-win for everyone! She's a _really_ good cook!" She replied, holding a plate out to him.

He sighed frustrated and grabbed his jacket.

"What? Where are you going?" Terri screeched.

"I'm taking Rachel home!" He called back.

"Could you ask her to dust the blinds in the craft room first?" She called out.

He grabbed her and led her to his car, opening the back-seat door for her.

The ride home was quiet and a bit awkward.

"Mr. Schuester, why do I have to sit in the back seat?" She finally said.

He paused before answering. "It's…uh…the law. Children have to ride in the back."

She rolled her eyes. "Children under 7."

He shrugged. "Well…I'm just concerned for your safety."

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

_Wrong answer_, he thought.

"Um…no…not really." He replied.

She smiled, getting an idea. "I think we should take advantage of this golden moment to practice our ballad."

_Ha, a way out_.

"Well, that would be great, but I don't have any music in the car."

He heard some shuffling in the backseat.

"It's ok. I made us a CD." She said, holding one up.

She reached over his shoulder and stuck the CD in the radio.

The song "Crush" started playing and she started singing, which made the moment even _more_ uncomfortable.

He pressed pause on the radio, not wanting to hear any more.

She looked shocked. "I wasn't finished."

He scrambled to think of an excuse. "Well the acoustics are horrible in the car. Put your seatbelt back on."

He tried to think of another subject to talk about.

"So…how's it going with Puck? You guys still seeing each other?"

"I broke things off. He was too immature. As are all the boys in high school." She replied, adjusting her seatbelt. "I need a man who can keep up with me intellectually and creatively."

"Well, that's a tough road for most high school boys." He said.

"That's why I have my sights set much higher." She said.

His heart dropped and they rode the rest of the way home in silence.

When he dropped her off, he noticed her Dads weren't home.

"They went out to dinner. Thank you for the ride, Mr. Schuester and allowing me to see your lovely home." She said, getting out of the car.

When she got to her door, she waved and he drove away frustrated.

She went inside and leaned against a wall, sighing.

_It's been said and done  
>Every beautiful thought's been already sung<br>And I guess right now here's another one  
>So your melody will play on and on, with best of 'em<br>You are beautiful, like a dream come alive, incredible  
>A centerfold miracle, lyrical<br>You've saved my life again  
>And I want you to know baby<em>

_I, I love you like a love song, baby  
>I, I love you like a love song, baby<br>I, I love you like a love song, baby_

_And I keep hittin' re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat_

_Constantly, boy you played through my mind like a symphony  
>There's no way to describe what you do to me<br>You just do to me, what you do  
>And it feels like I've been rescued<br>I've been set free  
>I am hypnotized by your destiny<br>You are magical, lyrical, beautiful  
>You are...I want you to know baby<em>

_I, I love you like a love song, baby  
>I, I love you like a love song, baby<br>I, I love you like a love song, baby_

_And I keep hittin' re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat_

_No one compares  
>You stand alone, to every record I own<br>Music to my hear that's what you are  
>A song that goes on and on<em>

_I, I love you like a love song, baby  
>I, I love you like a love song, baby<br>I, I love you like a love song, baby_

_And I keep hittin' re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat_

She never felt so attracted to another person like that before.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Wow!" Anna-Mae exclaimed. "So before you fell in love, you treated her like the way you treat me?"

"That's right, honey, because it's against the rules for a teacher and student to date and I didn't like her like her yet." Will replied.

"Ohhh." Anna-Mae replied. "What happened next?"

**FLASHBACK**

After a really unnecessary confrontation from Suzie Pepper, Rachel felt….dumbstruck. She realized that she wasn't going to be getting Will's affection and that she was probably getting on his nerves.

So the next day before school, she stopped by the grocery store and bought a pot of pink daisies.

When it was time for their rehearsal, he came in much stressed.

She stood up with the pot. "Mr. Schuester, I'm ready when you are. That ballad I have selected has an important message I'm anxious for you to hear."

Finally he had enough. "Rachel, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to stop you. The way you've been acting is totally inappropriate."

He took a minute before continuing. "I'm sorry, but I'm your teacher Rachel. And that's all I'm ever gonna be."

She nodded understandingly. "I know." She gestured to the pot. "I brought these for you as an apology."

He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was about to start crying.

"And the song I was gonna sing was _Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word_ by Elton John because I know how much you love him."

She set the pot on the piano and went to her seat sadly. "I'm such an idiot! Mooning over you and cleaning your apartment…"

He felt _really_ bad that she was being hard on herself. He walked over and sat next to her. She turned away trying to hide her tears.

"Hey, it's ok."

He paused, trying to figure out how to cheer her up.

"I know it's not easy for you, Rachel. And I know there are some things about yourself that you think you'd like to change. But you should know that there's some boy out there that's gonna like you for who you are…including those parts of you that even _you_ don't like. Those are gonna be the things that he likes the most."

After a few seconds of silence, she nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Schue."

He felt relieved that she got the message, but he didn't want to stay in this uncomfortable moment.

"What do you say we ditch rehearsal?"

She smiled and wiped away her tears.

He stood up and went to the piano and grabbed his bag.

"I've gotta be honest Rachel, you've never really needed help with your ballads. You've been knocking them out of the park since day one." He said smiling.

She stood up and straightened out her dress.

He grabbed the pot and they began walking out together.

"Do you like them?" She asked.

He sniffed them.

"Very much." He replied.

**END OF FLASHBACK!**

"You were _very _nice to Mommy, Daddy." Anna-Mae said honestly.

Will smiled. "Thank you, sweetie, it was a tough situation for Daddy."

"But how did you two fall in _love_?" she asked.

Rachel walked over to her and kissed her on the head. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Anna-Mae nodded and closed her eyes. "Good-night."

Back in their bedroom, Will wondered about something as he pulled on his pajamas.

"Rachel that was a mistake." He said.

Rachel turned to him. "What, me falling for you or you rejecting me?

He sighed. "Well…both, but really it was me rejecting you."

She sat down at her vanity and brushed her hair. "Well what's done is done, and if that didn't happened, we wouldn't have had a start of falling for each other."

He nodded. "You're right. Good-night, honey, I love you." He said crawling into bed.

Rachel put down the hair brush and slipped into bed next to him.

"I love you too. Sweet dreams."

**This chapter was entirely scripted! But the next ones won't be. And I know Rachel never sang "**_**I Love You like a Love Song**_**" but it kind of fit. REVIEW ONEGAI! (That's Japanese for please. I will keep being bilingual about this, mind you!)**


	4. Back to Square One

**And once again…I am back from a disappearance. I'm EXTREMELY sorry, but I just got done with my school's production of **_**Les Miserables**_**…well actually, that ended a month ago…but then my computer got infected so Daddy had to fix it and I had writer's block. And on TOP of that…senior stress! But I'm back and HOPEFULLY this idea works.**

Will came home late around ten at night because of a last minute after-school rehearsal he decided to have for the Glee Club and later on, went to a bar to clear his thoughts.

The kitchen light was on when he got in so he dropped his briefcase on the couch and sat down. Rachel came out a second later from the bedroom with her arms crossed.

"Hey, honey." He greeted her.

"Don't _hey honey_ me, Will." She snapped.

"Whoa, what's going on?" He asked confused.

She narrowed her eyes. "How do you _really_ expect me to forgive you?"

"Forgive me for what, being late?" He asked. "I had an after-school rehearsal and then went to the bar with some of the guys."

He went to the fridge and started making a plate of whatever she had cooked that night.

She followed after him. "So…you think that's more important than your own _daughter's performance tonight?_"

He put his fork up to his lips but when he heard that, his heart stopped.

"P-p-performance?" He stuttered.

She pointed to the calendar on the wall where he wrote in big letters a few weeks ago _ANNA-MAE'S PERFORMANCE!_

He looked at the date and smacked his palm to his head. How stupid was he to forget? Anna-Mae was playing Wendy in Peter Pan and her opening night was _that_ very night!

"Do you know how _heartbreaking_ it is to tell your own _daughter_ that her father couldn't make it to her first play ever?" Rachel demanded.

Will looked at her with sad eyes. "How did she react?"

"She was sad at first, but she performed perfectly." She replied.

He put his head in his hands. "Rach, I'm BEYOND sorry-"

"First off, don't apologize to me." She interrupted. "Second, you're doing it again. You're putting your priorities before your family again and pushing us away."

He looked at her exasperated. "Rachel, I'm _trying-_"

"You ALWAYS say that!" She screeched. "I'm trying, I'm trying, and I'm trying! Trying to _what_, re I ask? Be the perfect teacher so you can keep bread on our table? Fine, but what about _trying_ to be a good husband and father, huh?"

Her words stung him like a bee. His heart broke when he saw that she was tearing up.

"Will, _please_, that's your biggest job, to be there for us! You know that you can't make your teaching job your whole life, you know!"

He reached out to her. "Rachel, I'm sorry-"

She moved away. "Don't. Not tonight. Just…eat your dinner, I'm going to bed."

She turned and walked away leaving him heartbroken.

The next day, Anna-Mae ate her breakfast while Will fixed his tie.

"Sweetie, you almost ready?" he asked her.

Anna-Mae nodded and took another bite out of her oatmeal.

Rachel, who was nearby cleaning up the kitchen, spoke up.

"Um…I think _I'll_ drive her to school today."

Anna-Mae looked at her. "Why, Mommy? It's Daddy's day to drive me and I want him to."

Rachel looked at Will sadly and sighed. "Fine, if that's what you want."

Anna-Mae finished her oatmeal and grabbed her backpack.

"Ready, Daddy!"

In the car, Will turned on the radio and put on her Lazytown CD.

The whole drive to her pre-school, she sat in the backseat singing to every song.

"Daddy, why couldn't you come to my show last night?" She asked suddenly.

He dreaded answering this question. "I'm really sorry, Anna-Mae. Daddy forgot."

"Is it ok to forget?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Well…not really, but sometimes it just happens. But making it happen on purpose is bad."

Of course her five year old mind couldn't comprehend what he was saying so he mumbled "Never mind."

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke up again. "Daddy, Mommy was an actress, right? Did you see any of her shows?"

Suddenly his mind flashed back to Rachel's senior year when she got her dream role, Maria in _West Side Story_. His mind was blown away by her performance and he hoped she would get her wish to be on the big stage like she always wanted.

"Yup, sweetie. Daddy saw your Mommy when she was in _West Side Story_."

"What's it about?" Anna-Mae asked.

He chuckled. "I'll tell you when you're older."

After he dropped her off, he drove the rest of the way home, cursing at himself for getting back to square one.

**Annnd it's time for another round of "Gabby's Unnecessary But Just Deal with It Comments Corner"!**

**I happen to LOVE**_** Lazytown**_**, so go away!**

**I **_**was**_** gonna have Will and Anna-Mae sing "Moves Like Jagger" in the car, but then I didn't think it was appropriate…even though my little brother and sister sing it.**

**I….have NO IDEAS for any later chapters! I swear, I thought once I had my summary, I'd have the whole thing flowing like my other stories, but now my mind is blank, and my reviewers are pointing out my mistakes (thank you for doing that, it's kinda helping my get my ideas going" but now I have a big fat NOTHING! So PLEASE…feel free to place your ideas in your reviews or by yonder blessed moon, I'm cancelling the story!**

**That's it.**


	5. Twas the Night Before Christmas Eve

**So…I'm trying this idea out now. I've lost all my viewers and no one is coming to me with ideas so I am being forced to come up with SOMETHING. *pies self in the face* Everyone happy?**

It was the night before Christmas, (before Christmas Eve), and once again Will was spending the night at the bar. Rachel and Anna-Mae were having a girl's night with Mercedes, Brittany, Quinn, Tina, and Santana.

Their relationship had just gone downhill again ever since he had forgotten about Anna-Mae's performance. They would hardly speak to each other, not even to bid each other good-morning. Of course Anna-Mae was too preoccupied to notice.

"Give me another beer, Aaron." He said to the bartender.

"Rough night, Will?" Aaron asked.

He sighed and nodded. "Yup…and it's all my fault."

Aaron handed him another beer. "Everything will turn out fine."

The door suddenly opened and a woman with long blonde hair came stumbling in. She was crying so much that her make-up was smeared and running down her face.

She took a seat next to Will. "Gimme some whiskey."

She looked at Will's beer. "Tough life too, eh?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, pretty tough with the wife and kid."

"Ha, marriage." She sneered. "That's why I'm not. I work at the local strip club so it's one night stands and parties all the time for me! You should stop by."

He shook his head. "No thanks, strippers aren't my thing."

She rolled her eyes. "Ahhh, you're a committed man. What do you do for a job?"

"I'm a teacher at the local high school." He replied.

"What do you teach?"

"Spanish." He said simply.

Aaron gave her a glass of whiskey and she laughed. "Spanish, ha! I had a client like that once…_tu eres corazon_ he was all like."

Suddenly, he was hit by a flashback.

_**FLASHBACK**_

It was the night of National's in New York and the New Directions had just found out that they got twelfth place. Everyone was devastated even when they got back to the hotel and went to their rooms silently. Will had tried his best to give them confidence but they wouldn't even look at him. He decided to go back to his room disappointed.

Around ten, he decided to go downstairs to the hotel bar to get a drink. When he got downstairs, he heard a familiar voice by the bar.

"All's well that ends well."

He looked towards the bar and saw Rachel sitting, her face stained with tears, and a fizzy red drink in her hand.

He ran over to her. She was still wearing her show dress and kept sniffing.

"For never was a story of more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

"Rachel, are you ok?" He asked.

She looked at him and burst out sobbing. He looked at her drink.

"Rachel, what is this? Have you been _drinking_?"

"Drinking, ha!" A voice said.

He looked up and saw the bartender, a handsome young man, cleaning a glass with a cloth.

"The minute she sat down she stated that she was clearly under-age and would be ordering non-alcoholic drinks. That was like her sixteenth Shirley Temple!"

"Shirley Temple?" Will asked confused.

The bartender rolled his eyes. "Are you thick or something? How old _are_ you?"

"Does it have alcohol?" Will asked.

The bartender sighed annoyingly and crossed his arms. "It's a Sprite with cherry syrup. Cherries are optional."

Will tasted the drink. "Oh…I'm sorry."

"It's fine, but she's pretty good at _acting_ like she's drunk. She's been quoting Shakespeare all night! You should have seen her when she recited _every_ line of Hamlet."

Will looked at her incredulously. "Really?"

Rachel looked at him again. "To be or not to be…" She said, her voice slightly slurred.

"She's not drunk; she's just having a bad night. We're here with our show choir for the National's competition and we didn't score very high." He explained.

The bartender nodded sympathetically. "I understand and I hope she feels better."

Will took out his wallet but the bartender stopped him. "Please, it's on me. I do the same thing when I'm having a bad day."

Will nodded and stood Rachel up. "Come on, Rachel. Let's go to my room and get you cleaned up."

She put her arm around him and he dragged her back to his room.

When they got there, she sat on the bed. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" He asked. "You guys did _great_! Forget the judges; they didn't know what they were saying…"

"It's Finn's fault!" She shouted. "That kiss costed us!"

"Rachel, calm down. It's all right, what's done is done." He said soothingly.

He went to the bathroom and came back with a wet towel.

"I'm going to clean your face off, ok?" He asked.

She nodded and he proceeded to clean off the smeared make-up.

"How's everyone taking it?" He asked.

"The _minute_ we got back to the room, Santana nearly _killed_ me! The boys had to hold her back while she screamed things at me in Spanish. It was quite frightening!" She replied.

He chuckled. "It'll take them a while to settle down."

She looked away sadly. "I don't think I'm ready to go back to my room. I was planning on just camping out in the lobby."

He nodded sympathetically. "You can stay here tonight. I have some spare clothes you can sleep in."

She looked shocked. "Mr. Schuester, I couldn't! You are too hospitable!"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Rachel, your safety is my only priority right now."

"What will I saw tomorrow when they ask why I didn't come back?"

He smiled. "We'll say you camped out in the lobby."

He gave her a pair of grey sweatpants and one of his button up shirts and sent her to the bathroom to change.

When she came back, he grabbed a pillow and extra blanket from the closet.

"I'll take the floor." He offered.

"Ok, _now_ you are being too hospitable! If I am going to take over your room, the least I can do is share the bed with you." She insisted. "We are very mature people here."

He laughed and spread the extra blanket on the bed.

"It's going to get a little chilly tonight."

"Studies showed that our body heat could keep us warmer than the blankets." She said.

He stopped and stared at her.

"I'm just joking!" She replied laughing.

He smiled and the crawled into the bed.

"Want to watch TV?" he asked.

She shook her head and rolled onto her side. "You can if you want to. I'm not in the mood, though."

He nodded. "You've had a rough night. It's fine, let's just go to sleep."

A few hours later, he woke up to the sound of her sniffling.

He sat up. "Rach, honey, are you ok?"

She shook her head and sat up wiping her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She hesitated before answering. "I don't like to lose. I know that life is about winning and losing but I've always been about winning. I'm so selfish."

He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "Oh Rach. It's normal to like to win. You're just being a human, that's all."

"I'm sorry for disturbing you. I am sure you wish to be sleeping by now."

"Rachel, I will say again, you are my top priority right now."

She was still crying so he rocked her back and forth for a while until she fell asleep.

When he was sure she was asleep, he lay her down with his arms still wrapped around her. He suddenly felt really…warm and happy inside but his tiredness pushed that thought away.

In the morning, Santana apologized for being so harsh.

All of a sudden…Will thought that last night, he and Rachel had some sort of connection…

…a _romantic_ connection.

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

"Hello? **HELLO?**"

Will was suddenly snapped out of his reverie by the blonde-haired lady waving her hand in front of his face.

"I **DON'T **like being ignored!" She snapped.

He shook his head. "I'm very sorry."

She sighed and sat back in her seat. "You know what? I'm gonna help you."

He looked confused. "Help? How?"

She took out a cigarette and lit it. "Everyone at the club is always saying _Christie, you don't have a heart_. But I in fact _do_ have one so I'm gonna give you some helpful advice so you don't wind up like me. Where are your wife and kid?"

"Out with friends." He replied.

She nodded. "Ok, well first off, go home. It's the night before Christmas Eve and instead of spending every minute of it with your family, you're spending it here. Second, I hope you got them something nice for Chrsitmas, but give them something extra that'll show them how much you love them."

He sat there dumbstruck. "How do you know all this?"

She shrugged. "Family experiences. Nothing I haven't been through before, mind you."

She stood up and patted his shoulder. "You'll be ok, I promise. Good luck."

She payed for her drink and left.

Will left the bar right away to get Rachel and Anna-Mae another present with a heavy heart that night.


	6. What I Did For Love

**Hello, one and all! I am full on here and ALIVE! Thank you for those concerned…**

**Anyway, thank you, PrettyLittleReader for this idea!**

It was opening night of Anna-Mae's second performance. This time, she was starring in "Annie" and was **tremendously** excited.

However…things weren't going to well and the show hadn't even _started_ yet!

As Rachel fixed her red wig, her phone rang."

"Hello?"

"_Rachel, honey?"_ Said Will on the other line.

"Will, where are you? The show starts in fifteen minutes!" She hissed.

"_I seem to be stuck in traffic!"_ He said and she suddenly heard many loud car honking and shouting. _"Don't worry; I'm pretty close to the theater."_

"Well hurry! You _better_ not miss this one, Will!" She snapped.

"_I won't, I promise! I'll see you there!"_

She hung up the phone and sighed.

Anna-Mae tugged at her skirt. "Daddy's not coming again?"

Rachel looked down at her. "Daddy's coming; he's just running a little late."

Anna-Mae nodded and started pacing. "Mommy, I'm nervous."

Rachel looked confused. "Nervous? Honey, you did swell in _West Side Story_!"

Anna-Mae shook my head. "That's because I knew you knew the show. But this is _Annie_, where the show focuses on me and hardly anyone else. And did you see how many people were there?"

Rachel stooped down. "But everyone else is here to see you like Uncle Puck, Uncle Finn, Uncle Mike, Uncle Sam, Uncle Rory, Uncle Artie, Aunt Quinn, Aunt Tina, Aunt Lauren, Aunt Santana, Aunt Brittany and Aunt Mercedes."

Anna-Mae gave her a small smile. "And Daddy?"

Rachel paused. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

Anna-Mae sat on the floor and started rocking back and forth.

"Anna-Mae, you'll be just fine, sweetie. And if you get nervous, just look at me. I'll be backstage watching you."

Anna-Mae looked up at her. "You will?"

Rachel nodded and smiled. "Of course. Daddy used to do it for me when I was nervous. And now I'm doing it for you."

Anna-Mae got off the floor and hugged her.

Suddenly the director, Miss Brennan came backstage and started hustling around. "Actors, call time in three minutes!"

Rachel and Anna-Mae started doing warm-ups until Miss Brennan called.

"Places, people, places!"

Rachel led Anna-Mae to her entrance and held her hand tightly. "Break a leg, sweetie."

Little did they know, Will had just arrived and was making his way quietly to his reserved seat in the front row.

Miss Brennan came up behind Anna-Mae. "Ok, girl, this is _you're_ moment. So go get 'em!"

Anna-Mae gave one last glance at Rachel before taking her place on the stage.

This reminded her of the time the Glee Club decided to do original songs for Regionals.

_**FLASHBACK**_

Everyone was so excited to go on. They had spent weeks working on their original songs and were pretty sure the ones they were going to perform would help them win.

"All right, guys, everyone excited?" Will asked.

Everyone murmured a reply.

"We're on next so everyone get ready!" He said.

Suddenly, he noticed Rachel pacing back and forth.

"Rachel, are you ok?"

She looked up at him. "I'm terribly nervous, Mr. Schuester."

His eyes widened. "Rachel Berry, _nervous_? You _love_ performing!"

She gave him a pained smile. "I love performing _other peoples'_ songs. But now that we're doing our own…it's a different feeling."

He shrugged. "I'm sure Barbara Streisand has sung her own songs at one point."

She shook her head. "Mr. Schuester, please, you're not making me feel any better."

He chuckled. "Sorry, didn't mean to. Believe me, Rachel; _everyone_ gets nervous at one point. It's ok to feel nervous."

She began rocking back and forth on her feet. He took her hand.

"How about this; if you get nervous while singing, just look at me. I'll be backstage watching from the wings and I'll give you my full support, I promise."

She smiled. Thank you, Mr. Schuester. I'll do my best."

Everyone started clapping and the stage manager gave the Glee Club the signal to take their place on stage.

Will kissed the top of her head. "Go. Have a great show and I'll be right here when it's over."

She took a shaky breath and took her place on stage.

_What have I done? I wish I could run.  
>Away from this ship going under<br>Just trying to help, hurt everyone else  
>Now I feel the weight of the world is<br>On my shoulders_

She looked into the wings and, just like he promised, Will was there. He gave her an encouraging smile and even sang along with her.

Finally, she gained enough confidence to face the audience.

_What can you do when your good isn't good enough?  
>When all that you touch tumbles down?<br>'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things  
>I just want to fix it somehow<br>But how many times will it take?  
>Oh, how many times will it take for me?<br>To get it right  
>To get it ri-igh-ight<em>

_Can I start again with my faith shaken?  
>'Cause I can't go back and undo this<br>I just have to stay and face my mistakes  
>But if I get stronger and wiser<br>I'll get through this_

_What can you do when your good isn't good enough?  
>When all that you touch tumbles down?<em>

_'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things  
>I just wanna fix it somehow<br>But how many times will it take?  
>Oh, how many times will it take for me?<br>To get it right_

_So I throw up my fist  
>Throw a punch in the air<br>And accept the truth, that sometimes life isn't fair  
>Yeah, I'll send down a wish<br>Yeah, I'll send up a prayer  
>And finally, someone will see<br>How much I care_

_What can you do when your good isn't good enough?  
>When all that you touch tumbles down?<br>Cos' my best intentions keep making a mess of things  
>I just wanna fix it somehow<br>But how many times will it take?  
>Oh, how many times will it take?<br>To get it right  
>To get it ri-igh-ight.<em>

She gave him one last glance as the audience clapped.

Everyone else took their places on the stage and the music for "Loser like Me" started up.

After it ended the crowd went wild and even wilder when they announcer awarded them first place.

"We're going to Nationals!" Everyone cheered jumping up and down.

Will made his way through them to Rachel.

"Rachel, you did it, honey!" He shouted over everyone hugging her tightly. "We couldn't have done it without you! You should be proud of yourself!"

She smiled and wiped away her tears of joy. "Thank you."

He hugged her again. "I knew you could do it. Now you're one step closer to being a great Broadway performer."

She felt pleased when he said that.

And it wasn't Sue punching the announcer square in the face that made the moment perfect. It was her knowing that someone believed in her.

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

Before she knew it, the show was over and everyone in the audience gave Anna-Mae a standing ovation.

She peered through the curtain and saw Will clapping along with everyone else, tears of happiness in his eyes.

Their eyes locked and suddenly she felt tears forming into her eyes.

She was proud on so many levels.

Proud of Anna-Mae for overcoming her stage fright, proud of Will for not letting them down.

And more importantly, proud of herself for finding courage in the past.

_What have I done?  
>I wish I could run<br>Away from this ship going under  
>Just trying to help,<br>Hurt everyone else.  
>Now I feel the weight of the world<br>Is on my shouldersWhat have I done?  
>I wish I could run<br>Away from this ship going under  
>Just trying to help,<br>Hurt everyone else.  
>Now I feel the weight of the world<br>Is on my shouldersWhat have I done?  
>I wish I could run<br>Away from this ship going under  
>Just trying to help,<br>Hurt everyone else.  
>Now I feel the weight of the world<br>Is on my shouldersWhat have I done?  
>I wish I could run<br>Away from this ship going under  
>Just trying to help,<br>Hurt everyone else.  
>Now I feel the weight of the world<br>Is on my shoulders_


	7. Once Upon a December

**Awww wasn't tonight's episode sweet? But…*pushed Emma away* sorry Will and Rachel, you're on **_**my**_** time now.**

**Oh, and Will…I'm gonna "borrow" some of those sweet words from your proposal speech, ok?**

**Ok, before I start…you're probably, when you read this, gonna think "OMG, she's making them do duets **_**again!**_**" Well all I gotta say is…**_**DEAL WITH IT!**_

It was the beginning of Glee and Will had just given them their assignment for the week: duets.

As they discussed their song with their partners, he pondered at how well his relationship with Rachel and Anna-Mae had improved.

He and Rachel were back to acknowledging each other and showing some signs of affection. He even stopped making trips to the bar after his encounter with Christie and her advice.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when two of his best students, Angie Carmichael and Jason Douglas approached his desk.

When he got his new batch of Glee Club sign ups at the beginning of the year, he noticed that _none_ of them were like the original group or like the group before them.

Jason came from a wealthy family, but used his money wisely and was kind to others. Angie's parents were hippies so she was very high-opinioned and optimistic.

"Mr. Schuester, we decided what song we're singing." Angie said.

Will nodded. "Ok, great!"

Jason smiled. "We're going to sing _Endless Love_ by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross."

Will's head shot up. "Come again?"

Angie looked confused. "_Endless Love_. Why, is it a bad song?"

He shook his head. "No, no it's a _great_ choice! It's just that…my wife and I sang that song at our wedding."

Angie and Jason looked at each other and smiled.

"Mr. Schue, since you said that, we're gonna sing this song dedicated to you and your wife."

Will was flattered. "Guys, that's really sweet of you, but…"

"But what?" Angie asked. "It's awfully _romantic_! And just perfect for the occasion! We won't take no for an answer!"

With a heartfelt smile, they turned and went back to their seat.

That song brought back a _lot_ of memories. Like when he proposed to her.

_**FLASHBACK**_

Will couldn't believe he spent four lonely years without her, but when she returned, he couldn't believe how much she had changed.

She hardly looked like herself anymore, but she still contained her usual personal qualities.

On the night of her twenty third birthday, he decided to propose to her.

He already made reservations to a fancy French restaurant not too far out of town and arranged to pick her up at eight.

During dinner, they made small talk about memories past until finally it was time.

Instead of being corny with a fancy violinist, he hired a barbershop quartet to serenade her with _My Girl_.

He gave them the signal and they came out. Her eyes widened and she had a huge smile on her face.

_I've got sunshine on a cloudy day  
>When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May<br>I guess you'd say  
>What can make me feel this way?<em>

_My girl, my girl, my girl  
>Talkin' 'bout my girl<br>My girl_

During the song, everyone in the restaurant turned to see the show and started clapping along. Rachel couldn't hide her blushing.

_I've got so much honey, the bees envy me  
>I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees<br>Well, I guess you'd say  
>What can make me feel this way?<em>

_My girl, my girl, my girl  
>Talkin' 'bout my girl<br>My girl_

_Ooh_

_Hey, hey, hey  
>Hey, hey, hey<br>Yeah_

_I don't need no money, fortune or fame  
>I got all the riches baby, one man can claim<br>Well, I guess you'd say  
>What can make me feel this way?<em>

_My girl, my girl, my girl  
>Talkin' 'bout my girl<br>My girl_

_I've got sunshine on a cloudy day  
>With my girl<br>I've even got the month of May  
>With my girl<br>_  
><em>Talkin' 'bout, talkin' 'bout<br>Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl  
>That's all I can talk about<br>Is my girl_

When the song ended, one of the singers pulled out a bouquet of lilies from behind his back and handed it to Will.

Will got down on one knee and took her hand. He could see tears of happiness in her eyes.

"Happy birthday, honey." He said.

She blinked through her tears.

He looked at the hand that he was holding.

"When I first held this hand, it felt as if I've held this hand a million times and the feeling is always perfect. I never thought I'd ever meet someone so perfect. When I first met you, it was like a dream. And as the years went by, that dream became a reality. I never thought I'd feel so complete. I love you, always and forever and I solemnly promise to stick with you the whole way no matter what. Now Rachel…will you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?"

Rachel waited a few seconds to compose herself. Then she got off her chair and knelt on the floor with him.

"Yes, Will, I'll marry you."

The whole restaurant burst out into cheers and offered their congratulations.

He picked her up and spun her round and round till they got dizzy. This night couldn't get any better!

After many months of hard work, it was finally the day of the wedding.

Rachel wanted a garden wedding, so Mike's parents offered to lend them their backyard that had huge acres of space that they used to hold fancy parties.

There was not a single person who Will and Rachel associated with that didn't pitch in to help plan the wedding. Even everyone in town offered to help.

The local baker made the cake, every bridal shop in town fought to help with the outfits and every restaurant offered to cater. Every florist and decorators also pitched in to help with the setting and decorations.

The wedding went by swiftly and sweetly. Will's parents hired the pastor of the church they went to help with the ceremony.

Will never thought Rachel ever looked more beautiful as she was led down the aisle by both her fathers.

At the reception, he and Rachel were scheduled to sing a duet. Sue, who was the events coordinator, made the announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats."

The music playing was louder and turned her out so no one heard her. Finally she got frustrated and turned the microphone up to full volume.

"**SHUT UP!**" she screamed.

Everyone quiet down and took their seats. She sighed with relief.

"Thank you. Now I would like to announce that the bride and groom would like to sing a duet."

The duet went absolutely perfect, and felt even more magical than when they first sang it. Every note was sung wonderfully and there wasn't a dry eye in the place when it was over.

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

"Mr. Schue?"

Will looked up and saw that the whole class was staring at him awkwardly.

One student, Jennifer Munroe spoke up.

"Since we're doing duets this week, the whole club and I were thinking that you and your wife should come and perform a duet for the class!"

His jaw dropped and he cleared his throat. "Jenny, that's a very thoughtful suggestion, but my wife and I haven't sung a duet since our wedding. And our relationship hasn't exactly been…in sync for a while."

Another student, Bobby White, raised his hand. "Well there you go. Maybe this duet will help patch it up!"

Will shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'll ask her. But I can't promise anything."

The smallest girl in the group, Irene Hart, spoke up. "Please, Mr. Schuester, you simply _must!_ We'd love to meet her!"

Will thought for a few seconds then sighed.

"Ok, I guess I could try."

The whole club cheered and he sat down at his desk, not believing what he was getting himself into.


	8. My Heart's Duet

When Will got home that night, he was exhausted.

Rachel was sitting on the couch sewing a sampler and she smiled when he came in.

"Hi, honey. How was your day?"

He set down his briefcase and kissed her on the cheek. "Great, sweetheart. How were yours and Anna-Mae's?"

"Quite well. She had a great day at school."

He nodded and sat down. "Um, honey, I have to tell you something."

"Hmm?" She asked not looking up.

He rubbed his neck nervously. "Um, the Glee Club wants to meet you."

"Sure, I'd be glad to. Why are you so nervous?" She replied.

He hesitated. "Well…they want to meet you and…they want us to perform a duet."

She looked up. "Really?"

He nodded. "I told them I wasn't sure if you'd want to because we haven't sung together since our wedding…"

"Will, I'd be _happy_ to perform a duet for the class! When did this happen?" She said with a smile.

"Well, their assignment this week was duets and two students came up and said that they were going to sing _Endless Love_. I told them that we sang it at our wedding and then the whole class suggested that you come in and we do a duet for them."

Her eyes brightened up. "Aw, that was sweet of them. What duet would you like to do?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, it's up to you."

She thought for a second. "Ooh, I think I have the _perfect_ song!"

At the end of the week, Rachel came to visit the Glee Club. Everyone welcomed her warmly and expressed how they admired her.

Jason and Angie spoke up. "Mrs. Schuester, if it pleases you, we'd like to perform our duet for you."

Rachel smiled. "That would be nice, I'd love to see!"

She took her seat and they got into position.

"This is for you." They added.

_My love,  
>There's only you in my life<br>The only thing that's bright_

_My first love,  
>You're every breath that I take<br>You're every step I make_

_And I  
>(I-I-I-I-I)<br>I want to share  
>All my love with you<br>No one else will do..._

_And your eyes  
>Your eyes, your eyes<br>They tell me how much you care  
>Ooh yes, you will always be<br>My endless love_

_Two hearts,  
>Two hearts that beat as one<br>Our lives have just begun_

_Forever  
>I'll hold you close in my arms<br>I can't resist your charms_

_And love  
>Oh, love<br>I'll be a fool  
>For you,<em>

_I'm sure  
>You know I don't mind<br>Oh, you know I don't mind_

_'Cause you,  
>You mean the world to me<br>Oh  
>I know<br>I know  
>I've found in you<br>My endless love_

_Bum, bum _

_Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum  
>Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum<em>

_Oooh, and love  
>Oh, love<br>I'll be that fool  
>For you,<br>I'm sure  
>You know I don't mind<br>Oh you know-  
>I don't mind<em>

_And, yes  
>You'll be the only one<br>'Cause no one can deny  
>This love I have inside<br>And I'll give it all to you  
>My love<br>My love, my love  
>My endless love<em>

By the end of the song, Rachel was so touched; she was on the verge of tears. Will held her hand the whole time and gave it a heartfelt squeeze.

She wiped away her tears. "That was quite beautiful."

Suddenly Jennifer spoke up. "Mr. Schuester, have you and Mrs. Schuester worked on a duet?"

He chuckled. "You sound just like me, Jenny. But to answer your question, yes we have."

Rachel took his hand and led him to the front of the room. "We will be singing _At the Beginning_ by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis."

Everyone nodded. Rachel nodded to the pianist and he began playing.

_We were strangers starting out on a journey  
>Never dreaming what we'd have to go through<br>Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing  
>At the beginning with you<em>

_No one told me I was going to find you  
>Unexpected what you did to my heart<br>When I lost hope, you were there to remind me  
>This is the start<em>

_And life is a road and I wanna keep going  
>Love is a river I wanna keep flowing<br>Life is a road, now and forever  
>Wonderful journey<br>I'll be there when the world stops turning  
>I'll be there when the storm is through<br>In the end I wanna be standing  
>At the beginning with you<em>

_We were strangers on a crazy adventure  
>Never dreaming how our dreams would come true<br>Now here we stand, unafraid of the future  
>At the beginning with you<em>

_And life a road and I wanna keep going  
>Love is a river I wanna keep flowing<br>Life is a road, now and forever  
>Wonderful journey<br>I'll be there when the world stops turning  
>I'll be there when the storm is through<br>In the end I wanna be standing  
>At the beginning with you<em>

_Knew there was somebody somewhere  
>Like me alone in the dark<br>Now I know my dream will live on  
>I've been waiting so long<br>Nothing's gonna tear us apart_

_And life is a road and I wanna keep going  
>Love is a river I wanna keep flowing<br>Life is a road, now and forever  
>Wonderful journey<br>I'll be there when the world stops turning  
>I'll be there when the storm is through<br>In the end I wanna be standing  
>At the beginning with you<em>

_Life is a road and I wanna keep going  
>Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing<br>Starting out on a journey  
>Life is a road and I wanna keep going<br>Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing  
>In the end I wanna be standing<br>At the beginning with you_

When they finished the song, everyone clapped and cheered.

"You are a _really_ good singer, Mrs. Schuester!" Angie cried.

Rachel blushed. "Well I _was_ a Broadway Actress sometime back."

Everyone's mouth fell open.

After he dismissed them, Will gave her a big kiss. "You should come back sometime. They _love_ you!"

She snuggled up to him. "Not as much as they love you. And we should also do duets for them."

He nodded. "I think that song has brought us a lot closer than you think."

"I believe so, too." She whispered.

**I promise this isn't the end of it! Review, please!**


	9. ATime For Us

**Ok, this will be the last chapter because…I have no more ideas to save it and continue. I'm getting a little tired of watching episode after episode and stealing the dialogue for flashbacks. They're all fine and that's it! But I'd just like to thank Pretty Little Reader for helping me gather ideas throughout the story; I couldn't have done it without you! Oh, and before you start reading, I'm going to say that I have a little surprise for you at the end. Annnddd ACTION!**

Everything seemed to be going well for Rachel and Will.

Will became a better husband and father to Rachel and Anna-Mae and they were both glad to have him back.

One day, while Rachel was writing out invitations for Anna-Mae's 6th birthday party, she suddenly remembered that her and Will's anniversary was coming up.

_Hmmm_, she thought. _What could I possible do for our anniversary?_

It reminded her of back when she was in high school, and she officially decided that she had fallen for him.

_**FLASHBACK**_

It was almost Valentine's Day, and all of McKinley High was buzzing. Couples everywhere were making plans, Finn was doing a kissing booth to help raise money for Nationals and the Gardening Club was selling flowers.

But how about Rachel?

No, Rachel would once again be celebrating Valentine's Day single, sad and lonely. Sure, her Dads were nice enough to spoil her with gifts, but she had _always _wanted to live the life of the romantic leading ladies in movies, books and musicals. All of her relationships never lasted till Valentine's Day. Jesse only lasted a few weeks, but it didn't really count since he only dated her to kill the competition, and Finn wasn't ready to commit to a full relationship. Puck…did that even _count_ as a relationship?

The day before Valentine's Day during Glee, Will had given their assignment: to pick a person and sing them a song about how they really feel about them. Rachel already knew who would perfect it: Tina with Mike, Quinn with Sam and Santana…_maybe_ to Brittany.

After he let them talk amongst themselves, she approached him.

"Mr. Schuester, may I request an alternate assignment?"

He looked at her confused. "Is there a problem with this assignment, Rachel?"

She shrugged. "Well, kind of. You see, Valentine's Day just isn't really my favorite holiday because none of my relationships made to that date, so there's no one I can sing to."

He nodded understandingly and smiled. "I'm pretty sure if you never got over that crush on me, you'd be singing to _me_ tomorrow."

When she didn't smile back and respond, he knew that she was a bit offended. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm sure that didn't help. But sure, you may do a solo instead."

She blew some loose hair from her face. "Tomorrow is going to be quite awful."

"Valentine's Day isn't _that_ bad." He replied.

She shrugged. "Do you have something special planned, Mr. Schuester?"

He looked at her then back at the papers he was grading. "Well…no. I just finalized my divorce from my ex-wife."

Her eyes grew big. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry!"

He gave her a half-hearted smile. "It's fine, it was for the best. And anyway, we can _both_ be sad on Valentine's Day."

She giggled. "Yes, I suppose so."

He patted her shoulder. "Don't give up, Rach. Remember what I told you before about finding a boy who will like the qualities about you that you hate."

The next day when she came to school, she had to keep herself from bursting out into sobs. Couples _everywhere_ were hugging, kissing, exchanging gifts and she could have sworn there was a _massive_ line in front of Finn's kissing booth.

She went to her locker to get her books out when suddenly a girl approached her.

"Valentine's Day delivery to Rachel Berry!" she said and handed her a rose.

Rachel took the rose in confusion and the girl ran off.

Who could have sent her a rose?

Finn? No, exes don't send their exes flowers, especially on Valentine's Day.

Sam? Mike? _Possibly_…just to be nice.

Puck? No, he's not really one to show affection.

Then _who?_

Suddenly, the girl who gave her the flower returned. "I'm so sorry; I forgot to give you the card that came with the flower!"

She handed her a card and took off again.

Rachel opened the card, finally finding out who her mystery sender was. Her eyes widened.

_Hey Rachel! I figured since everyone would be getting one today, you should get one too. Chin up! Don't let being single stop you from enjoying life, because I sure won't. Instead of rain and tears, make it sunny and smiles! I promise, you're an __**amazing**__ individual. Hope you have a great day, you deserve it._

_Mr. Schuester_

_P.S __I know it's not easy for you, Rachel. And I know there are some things about yourself that you think you'd like to change. But you should know that there's some boy out there that's gonna like you for who you are…including those parts of you that even __you__ don't like. Those are gonna be the things that he likes the most._

She closed the card and smiled, remembering that that's what he told her when she accepted the fact that her little crush on him was unnecessary.

But suddenly…she felt that feeling come back.

Only a year had passed since then, but why had those feelings she had harbored long ago returned?

Throughout the day, she analyzed everything. There was nothing wrong with crushing on Will, she was sure that _every_ girl who had his class did at least _once_. But this was different. Will had exactly the qualities she longed for in a man, the kind like the romantic male leads. He had qualities that guys like Finn and Puck lacked: Kindness, sympathy, encouraging, risk-taking…boy, he sure took her breath away!

All of a sudden, she thought of a song that would fit _perfectly_ with her solo assignment!

During Glee, everyone sang their songs in a well manner. Finally it was her turn.

"I requested to sing a solo song today, but it's Valentine's Day, so I chose a song just for the occasion." She announced with a smile.

Will shrugged and smiled. "All right, go ahead."

Rachel took a deep breath and focused all her attention on him, but not obviously.

_Smooth talkin' so rockin  
>He's got everything that a girl's wantin<br>Guitar cutie he plays it groovy  
>And I can't keep myself<br>From doing somethin' stupid_

_Think I'm really falling for his smile  
>Get butterflies when he says my name<em>

Finn thought that she was singing about him, so he sat in his seat with a smug smile on his face.

_He's got something special  
>He's got something special<br>And when he's looking at me  
>I wanna get all sentimental<br>He's got something special  
>He's got something special<br>I can hardly breathe  
>Something's been telling me telling me<br>He could be the one_

_He's lightning sparks are flyin'  
>Everywhere I go he's always on my mind and<br>I'm going crazy about him lately  
>And I can't help myself<br>From how my heart is racin_

_Think I'm really diggin' on his vibe  
>He really blows me away<em>

_He's got something special  
>He's got something special<br>And when he's looking at me  
>I wanna get all sentimental<br>He's got something special  
>He's got something special<br>I can hardly breathe  
>Something's been telling me telling me<br>He could be the one_

_And he's got a way of making me feel  
>Like everything I do is<br>Perfectly fine  
>The stars are aligned<br>When I'm with him_

_And I'm so into him_

_He's got something special  
>He's got something special<br>And when he's looking at me  
>I wanna get all sentimental<br>He's got something special  
>He's got something special<br>I can hardly breathe  
>Something's been telling me telling me<br>He could be the one_

When the song ended, she curtsied and everyone clapped and cheered. Will showed the most enthusiasm.

After he dismissed everyone, she approached his desk again.

He smiled when he saw that she had the rose and card in her hand. "I see you got my gift."

She looked at it. "Yes, thank you. But why?"

He shrugged. "I'm single on Valentine's Day; _you're_ single on Valentine's Day…I thought we should at least have _something_ to blend in with the crowd."

She nodded understandingly. "I understand perfectly, which is why I got you something, too." She got down on her knees and began digging through her backpack.

"Rach, really, you didn't have to…" He said.

She looked up. "Please, Mr. Schuester, it's the least I can do to return the favor."

After a few seconds, she pulled out a teddy bear holding a big red heart.

"I specialize in gold stars _and_ teddy bears. I have over _hundreds_ of them."

He took the bear with a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, Rachel. I think this is the best gift I've ever received from a student."

She smiled. "You're welcome. I better go now, but happy Valentine's Day!"

Before she left, she gave him a long hug. He hugged back with equal affection.

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

"Honey, I'm home!" She heard Will call as he walked through the door.

He went over to the table and kissed her on the cheek. "How was your day?"

She shrugged. "It was fine; I'm just working on Anna-Mae's invites."

He nodded and sat down. "It's almost our anniversary."

She smiled. "I know, and Valentine's Day, too. I was thinking today about when I sang that song to you after you gave me that rose."

"And when you gave me that teddy bear." He said. "I think I still have it somewhere."

Her head shot up in surprise. "You do?"

He nodded. "Yeah, let me go look."

A few minutes later, he emerged from the bedroom with the _exact_ same teddy bear, looking just like it did when she delivered it to him and still in perfect shape.

"I took good care of it over the years and saved it, just in case you wondered about it later on."

Rachel could feel tears forming in her eyes. "Will…that was _so_ sweet of you!"

He tucked some hair behind her ear. "You didn't think I'd throw something nice like this away, did you?"

Suddenly, Anna-Mae came bounding into the kitchen. "Daddy!"

Will laughed and lifted her onto his lap. "Hi, pumpkin! Have a god day today?"

She nodded. "Yes, Daddy! Today in school, we made Valentine's Day cards!"

He chuckled. "I bet yours are the prettiest."

Anna-Mae suddenly looked at him strangely. "Daddy, you and Mommy never finished telling me the story about you and her."

He looked confused. "Yes we did, sweetie. We told you how we met, fell in love…"

Anna-Mae interrupted. "Yeah, but you never gave it an ending!"

His eyes widened and he looked at Rachel. She put down the invite she was writing.

"Hmmm…I'm sure Daddy and I can think of an ending."

Will thought for a second. "Well, after Mommy graduated, she went to college and had a Broadway career…"

"And Mommy went back to Daddy after a while because she missed him…" Rachel continued.

"And then they had a beautiful baby girl named Anna-Mae." They said in unison.

"That's me!" She cried out!

Will and Rachel laughed. "Yes, it is. Do you want to finish the story?"

Anna-Mae nodded. "And they all lived happily ever after!"

**The end!**

**Wow…this chapter is 6 pages long! Good thing I didn't handwrite it! So…that's the ending.**

**Now for the surprise that I promised at the top of the page!**

**I wanted to get this story finished and done with because 1. I was getting irritated with writing flashbacks and 2. I came up with plots for 2 new Schueberry stories that I will be writing! **

**The problem is that I don't know which one to start with first so I'll give you the summaries and you put which one I should start with first in the review box.**

**Instead of Will Schuester being the hot, mega-awesome Spanish/Glee teacher at McKinley High, he is the new charismatic and charming foreign exchange student from Colombia with his sights set on a certain diva! Can he win his heart or will someone else make the first move?**

**Will and Rachel are dating and living together. When his twin brother Rick (who has the opposite of Will's personality) comes to visit and becomes attracted to Rachel, who will she choose?**

**All right, I can't do this without you readers and reviewers! Start the voting! Thank you and good-night!**


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